Day: October 9, 2019

GRB Studios is counting among its new titles for MIPCOM Cinderella Bride, which follows wedding planner Sheri Steffans as she and her team give deserving couples their dream ceremony.

Another new title on offer is List(e)n, a documentary that sees ordinary people matched up with a partner who has opposing views on an important topic. The program focuses on culturally relevant issues such as birth control, gun policies and immigration. Highland: Thailand’s Marijuana Awakening, meanwhile, is set in Thailand, a country with a long and convoluted history surrounding marijuana. The docuseries explores the growing community of Thai people fighting a battle to legalize marijuana. GRB is also presenting the documentary The New Normal, following five students from Parkland High School, which is dealing with the aftermath of a mass shooting that saw 17 students lose their lives.

New seasons are available of Untold Stories of the E.R., a fast-paced medical series that dramatizes intense real-life stories of the emergency room, featuring the actual doctors who lived them. Murder mysteries are explored through in-depth interviews with witnesses and suspects in On the Case, which GRB Studios is showcasing. The roundtable interview series Close Up with The Hollywood Reporter features A-list stars and directors from the year’s most acclaimed films and television series, including Tom Hanks, Guillermo del Toro, Emma Stone, Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon and Matt Damon.

Rounding out the slate is Whacked Out, a high-impact clip series of sports mishaps, crashes and bloopers from around the globe.

“We [will be] at MIPCOM speaking with independent producers and encourage them to drop by our stand to learn about what we can offer as a 30-plus-year leader in content production and distribution, selling to hundreds of broadcasters and streaming partners, with an excellent reputation,” said Sarah Coursey, GRB’s senior VP of international. “GRB is very much in acquisitions mode, and we are aggressively scouting for new programs, both scripted and unscripted.”

She added, “GRB is thrilled to be bringing such a solid, varied slate of gripping new programs, and new seasons of our most popular shows, to MIPCOM. This season’s slate represents our multifaceted catalog of several factual genres—everything from thoughtful docuseries covering murder investigation, gun violence and medical drama to wedding lifestyle, sports and celebrity-focused programming. Additionally, we are vigorously seeking to acquire new programs to continue building our portfolio—which already holds thousands of hours of programming. We look forward to seeing our long-time partners and forging new relationships in Cannes.”

California-based GRB Studios and UK indie Zig Zag Productions have signed a coproduction agreement through which the pair will team up on the shopping and production of selected unscripted projects in the US and UK.

Sarah Coursey

Under the deal, Zig Zag and GRB will jointly shop mutually chosen Zig Zag projects in the US and mutually chosen GRB projects in the UK. Any shows greenlit will be coproduced by both companies.

“Our aim is to coproduce a number of compelling unscripted projects together that will appeal to a global audience,” said Sarah Coursey, GRB’s senior VP of international, who arrived at the company over the summer.

The news comes after Zig Zag last month agreed a development and distribution deal with Nordic Entertainment Group-owned distributor DRG, under which Zig Zag will develop an original slate of unscripted content and formats that DRG will have the option to codevelop and distribute.

US producer-distributor GRB Studios has struck an unscripted co-production pact with UK indie Zig Zag Productions.

Under the deal, the two businesses will shop and produce unscripted projects between the US and UK, with Zig Zag taking out mutually chosen GRB projects in the UK and GRB shopping its partner’s titles Stateside.

Any projects that are greenlit will be co-produced by the two prodcos.

The deal was struck by GRB Studios’ SVP of international Sarah Coursey and Zig Zag MD Matt Graff.

GRB’s slate includes A&E series Intervention, TLC’s Untold Stories Of The ER and Nat Geo’s Showdown Of The Unbeatables, while Zig Zag’s recent credits are BBC Three’s Stacey Dooley: Face To Face With The Arms Dealers and Quest Red’s Killing Michael Jackson.

Coursey said: “GRB Studios is thrilled to partner with Zig Zag Productions, a consummate independent powerhouse company, very united with GRB’s goals. Our aim is to co-produce a number of compelling unscripted projects together that will appeal to a global audience, harnessing the best of both companies’ creative and business strengths.”

Graff added: “We’re excited to be forming this strategic alliance to exploit mutually selected Zig Zag and GRB projects and formats for the US and UK markets. Creating an Anglo-American partnership between two strong independent players with proven excellence in creativity and production is an exciting prospect.”

https://tbivision.com/2019/10/09/grb-zig-zag-team-up-for-unscripted-co-productions/

Sherman Oaks-based indie prodco and distributor GRB Studios has penned a co-production partnership with London indie Zig Zag Productions.

Under the pact, the two companies will jointly shop and produce a selection of “mutually-chosen” non-scripted projects on both sides of the pond. As such, Zig Zag-created titles will be shopped in the U.S. and GRB-made ventures will likewise be looking for buyers in the UK.

All programs greenlit will be co-produced by the companies.

“Our aim is to co-produce a number of compelling unscripted projects together that will appeal to a global audience, harnessing the best of both companies’ creative and business strengths,” said GRB’s Sarah Coursey (pictured left), who recently joined the California company as SVP of international.

“We’re excited to be forming this strategic alliance to exploit mutually selected Zig Zag and GRB projects and formats for the U.S. and UK markets. Creating an Anglo-American partnership between two strong independent players with proven excellence in creativity and production is an exciting prospect” added Matt Graff (right), managing director of Zig Zag.